Bhubaneswar: After a stunning comeback in US Elections 2024, Donald Trump is earnestly on the work to put his team 2.0, in order to live up to his election slogan “Trump Will Fix it.” President-elect has started giving shape to his new team, and has named some key position of his Team 2.0.
The first appointment Trump made was US chief of staff, he named Susie wiles for the top post. Trump then announced name of Republican Elise Stefanik as UN Ambassador. The third appointment was Lee Zeldin for Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
However, the cracker of the appointment has been that of Republican congressman Mike Waltz. In US, Waltz is considered a China hawk and is also the first Green Beret elected to Congress.
On the other hand, Waltz co-chairs India Caucas along with Republican Ro Khanna. Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans is a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers committed to strengthening the relationship between the United States and India. It is said to be the one of the largest such caucas for any country.
WHO IS MIKE WALTZ?
Born in Boynton Beach, and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He was raised by a hard-working single mother and is the son and grandson of Navy Chiefs. He is father of a daughter and son.
Mike Waltz is a Colonel (Ret.) in the National Guard, a combat-decorated Green Beret (means soldier in US Special Force), former White House and Pentagon policy advisor, a small business owner, and an author. He is the first Green Beret to be elected to Congress.
As per US Congress profile on Mike Waltz, after being commissioned as an Army lieutenant, Mike graduated Ranger School and was selected for the elite Green Berets, serving worldwide as a Special Forces officer with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. For his actions in combat, Mike was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two for Valor.
‘AMERICAN WALTZ’ MOMENT FOR INDIA
As he co-chairs India-US Congressional Caucas, Mike Waltz is an Indian acolyte US Congressmen. In an interview to Fox News on Aug 22, 2023, after he attended PM Modi’s 2023 I-day address as a leader of bi-partisan US delegation, he allayed the concern in American media on India making rupee an alternative to dollar.
Speaking to Fox News, Waltz said, “India is not making any move to replace dollar. Dollar will not be weakened by Indian govt’s action. “In the same interview, Waltz also spoke about the China threat to India and lauded the growth of digital India, the growing middle class and also spoke about the spurt in washing machines sales in India.”
During the India visit mentioned above, speaking to ANI, Waltz lauded the ‘Rise of India’. The salient points of his India vision given below.
- He was in full praise and support for PM Modi’s vision of fully developed India by 2047.
- US and US Industries will work in tandem to the Make in India of Modi government.
- He spoke highly about the increased top-level interactions and said the meaningful engagement from both countries speaks how strong the relationship is becoming.
- He decried the increased aggression of China and it poses threat for India from fronts such as Pakistan, Indian Oceana and Line of Control.
- Waltz said, “We are seeing aggression all around, so we need to work together in every aspect to deter that type of aggression.”
- He had earlier described India a strong ally of US for it being a nuclear power country with more than 1mn troops, a growing navy, a top-tier space programme, and a proven history of economic and military cooperation with US.
- India as ally of US will form a real deterrent to potential terrorist threats in Afghanistan as well as counter China.
The nuances of his statements on India clearly suggest Waltz a friend of India, and is very much alive to India’s geo-political and security risks. If he is appointed as NSA in Trump 2.0, then it is certainly very positive news for India.
WALTZ ON UKRAINE
In an interview to Scripps News, Waltz supported aid to Ukraine but with "conditions," including increased spending from European allies, additional oversight of funds, and pairing the aid with border security measures.
In the same interview, “ Waltz highlighted the potential policy changes during Trump's second term – we will simply lift the liquid natural gas ban, and not do things like Biden did with canceling the Keystone XL pipeline."
"We've really got to put the foot on the gas when it comes to production of oil and gas around the world. You drive down the price around the world, which will dry up Putin's war machine, which will dry up Iran's war machine."
Iran, too, is "worried about President Trump coming back into office," Waltz said. "They see it as an existential threat."
"They clearly do not want a return to maximum pressure. As long, from a policy standpoint, as they are flush with cash, they are going to help Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis rebuild, despite Israeli successes," he said.
"You're never going to ultimately be successful in returning the Middle East peace as long as Iran is selling oil like it is," he opined.
